“In this dysfunctional relationship, both the US and Pakistan have interests and expectations that the other cannot deliver on”, said Michael Kugelman, a South Asia analyst at the Washington-based Woodrow Wilson worldwide Center for Scholars before the talks.He said both the nations should resume dialogues to resolve all outstanding issues which also include Jammu and Kashmir.
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“We can assume that in the coming weeks, all this talk will fade away”, said Wall Street Journal in its Saturday’s article “Four Takeaways from Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s Washington Visit”. When asked for her reaction, former Governor of Alaska and Republican Sarah Palin said it would be better for American foreign policy as “from Pakistan, you can literally see India, Afghanistan and China and so it would be easy to keep an eye on them”.
“They’ve targeted terrorist sanctuaries and have restored government control to parts of Pakistan that have previously been safe havens for terrorists”, Shultz said, while urging Pakistan to “take action against all militant groups without discriminating”.
Nevertheless, there were many points in the discussions between the Pakistani PM and US President, that are a cause of concern for India. “We wish to have third party mediation, but we have not demanded it from the United States”, Pakistan’s outgoing National Security Advisor Sartaj Aziz said. A senior official of the USA administration said the United States appreciated Pakistan’s efforts to advance an Afghan-led reconciliation process, but “had repeatedly stressed that “kill or talk” is not the choice”.
Prime Minister’s visit has also dispelled the Indian propaganda of Pakistan supporting Lashkar-e-Taiba and Haqqani Network with Nawaz Sharif committing that indiscriminate action will be taken against all groups involved in terrorism.
President Obama underscored the importance of Pakistan’s role as one of the largest Muslim democracies in using its influence in support of peace, security, development, and human rights around the world.
The joint statement contains a veiled reference to this, noting the “mutual concerns” of India and Pakistan on terrorism, and Nawaz’s observation that reining in terrorism is “an obligation of all countries in the region”.
In a joint-statement after a meeting between the prime mister and US President Barack Obama, both the leaders had called on the Taliban to “enter into direct talks with Kabul and work towards a sustainable peace settlement”. Pakistan’s powerful Army chief Raheel Sharif’s request to Obama to let his terrorist cadre to attack India once in a while to keep up their morale is still under consideration.
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Islamabad asked to boost counter-terrorism efforts. “Obviously the Pakistan-India relationship poses the most hard and urgent challenge”, Sharif said, in an address to the US Institute for Peace. “Now we can spend this money to directly pay the terrorists enrolled into the USA army and also to revive the Pakistani economy…” said White House.
